As of present, HCMC has three districts of 7, Cu Chi and Can Gio having brought the Covid-19 pandemic under control in accordance with criteria in controlling the disease issued by the Ministry of Health. In which, Cu Chi and District 7 are selected as pilots for the city’s new normal scenario after September 15.

The head offices of the People’s Committees of wards in Go Vap and District 8 that were requisitioned as gathering places of food and essential goods for social welfare activities have been cleaned and disinfected to give back the premises to the local administrative agencies before September 15.

Residents who come to the People’s Committees of wards for notarization services are required to provide medical declaration, wear mask, measure body temperature while local state officials will wear personal protective equipment to protect against the virus and comply with the health ministry's 5K message, including facemask, disinfection, social distancing, no gathering and health declaration.

Digital transformation of public administration has created favorable condition for State cadres to work and solve all documents submitted by residents online during the social distancing measures.

This process of using digital technologies to modify administrative procedures can be continued to apply after the current social distancing period ends, said PhD Huynh Thanh Dien, a lecturer of the Nguyen Tat Thanh University.

In the ‘Citizens – City Leaders: Question and Response’ livestream session on the direction of the city for the upcoming time regarding Covid-19 prevention and control as well as social security, Chairman of the HCMC People’s Committee Phan Van Mai said that the city will gradually ease social distancing rules under strict safety measures.

Government agencies have implemented the modes of "three on spot" and “one route, two destinations" with only a quarter of employees who can work at the office. If social distancing measures will be lifted in a gradual manner, State agencies must also arrange work based on their plans and the number of employees as well as ensure minimal contact between workers.

Agencies and offices of the administrative state in the city should be simultaneously reopened to reduce the amount of work for officials, said PhD Huynh Thanh Dien.

Additionally, the city plans to reach the goal of single-dose vaccination strategy for people aged 18 and above in all districts by September 15 and apply the “Green Pass” showing that people have been vaccinated and tested negative throughout the city. If the city gradually eases social distancing rules, the competent units should enhance the unexpected inspection of Covid-19 prevention and control activities to moderate the amount of unnecessary works for departments. Officials of State agencies and employees of businesses have to be vaccinated for Covid-19, he added.

Phan Van Men, Director of the HCMC Social Insurance Agency, said that they solve more than two millions documents every year including social distancing period while the office has a total number of 1,300 workers. The office have applied information technology in solving the a huge amount of work.

Vietnam, Belgium’s firm discuss COVID-19 vaccine production cooperation

Belgium’s biotechnology company Univercells can access and provide vaccines for Southeast Asia in particular and Asia at large through cooperation in Vietnam, Minister of Industry and Trade Nguyen Hong Dien has affirmed.

He made the remark during a recent meeting with representatives of Belgium’s biotechnology company, trade partners and the Wallonia Export-Investment Agency, on cooperation in COVID-19 vaccine and medicine production.

The meeting, part of National Assembly Chairman Vuong Dinh Hue’s visit to Belgium and the European Union, was among efforts by the Ministry of Industry and Trade in seeking vaccine supply and carrying out vaccine diplomacy.

A representative of Univercells said the company is paying heed to investment in vaccine production facilities in Vietnam, along with production of personal medical equipment; experience sharing and training for vaccine manufacturers and connection with various partners to find suitable financial sources for cooperation projects.

Dien suggested development orientations in line with the country’s infrastructure in the field, urging the Belgian firm to promptly send suggestions and materials to the Vietnamese side for consideration.

During his trip, Dien also received Secretary General of the Federation of European Sporting Goods Industry (FESI) Jerome Pero and representatives from Nike Group.

He hoped that FESI and Nike will raise voice to the EU and US administration to make it easier for Vietnam to access vaccines at the earliest via the COVAX mechanism or commercial channel.

FESI and Nike also discussed the possibility of assisting Vietnam in COVID-19 fight such as supplying test kits or factory cleansing equipment.

Youth Union delivers mooncakes for children in pandemic zones

The HCM City Youth Union and its partners have launched a charity programme to offer mooncakes for poor children in isolation zones in celebration of the Mid-Autumn (Trung Thu) Festival, which falls on September 21 (the 15th day of the eighth lunar month). 

The event, called Trung Thu Cho Em (Full Moon Party for Children), targets children aged three to 15. 

More than 5,000 children will receive Trung Thu gifts, including mooncakes, candies and fruits, which will be delivered by the union’s volunteers. Traditional lanterns will be included. 

“Because of the COVID-19 pandemic, this year for the first time we will organise full moon celebrities for children without theatre performances and traditional games,” said Nguyễn Thanh Hân, director of the Social Activities Centre for Việt Nam’s Young People, Teenagers &Children, a member of the programme’s organising board. 

Hân and his staff delivered Trung Thu gifts to 500 children from poor and migrant households in An Phú Ward in Thủ Đức City after the event’s launching day on September 8.  

“We hope our programme, Trung Thu Cho Em, will encourage children and parents living in pandemic and isolation zones to be optimistic in the virus fight,” said Hân.  

“Our volunteers have told the kids that ‘you should never stop your dreams and wishes’.”

Lâm Minh Châu, 10, who lives with his parent in a small alley on Lương Định Của Street, were happy to receive a mooncake and a star lantern from the event’s volunteers. 

“I thought I would have no Trung Thu lantern and mooncake this year. I’m very happy to participate in the programme Trung Thu Cho Em,” said Châu. “I will play and light up my lantern alone at home because I follow COVID-19 measures.” 

Châu and other kids living in his area were asked to wear face masks, keep a safe distance, and wash hands with sanitiser during and after taking the gifts. 

Labour unions at industrial parks and export processing zones in the city will also present several thousands gifts to poor children and teenagers this season.

Eleven northern localities send health workers to support Ha Noi in vaccination, mass testing

Eleven northern localities have sent 1,327 health workers to support vaccination and 2,028 others for conducting mass testing in the capital city of Ha Noi. 

Earlier, Ha Noi authorities said they would test the entire population of the city prior to September 15 to achieve the target of controlling the COVID-19 outbreak by mid-September. 

The city with a population of 9 million plans to test people in very high-risk areas every two or three days, those in high-risk areas at least twice and residents in low-risk neighborhoods at least once.

The tests will allow authorities to get a comprehensive picture of the ongoing pandemic situation to decide which areas are safe enough for resumption of socio-economic activities.

Besides dispatching medical workers to take swabs, they will also deliver rapid test kits for people to perform the test themselves.

The city’s authorities set the target that all local residents aged 18 and above will receive at least one shot of COVID-19 vaccine by September 15. 

Statistics show around 3.78 million vaccine doses were administered in the city./. 

Vietnamese legislature leader begins Finland visit

Vietnam National Assembly Chairman Vuong Dinh Hue and his entourage arrived in Helsinki on September 9 evening, beginning their two-day visit to Finland at the invitation of Speaker of the Finnish Parliament Anu Vehvilainen.

They were welcomed at Vantaa airport by Vietnamese Ambassador to Finland Dang Thi Hai Tam, Chairman of the Finnish Parliament’s Foreign Affairs Committee Mika Niikko, and other Finnish officials.

The visit aims to promote the traditional friendship and multifaceted cooperation between Vietnam and Finland in general and their legislatures in particular, opening up new cooperation prospects in bilateral relations as well as inter-regional and international cooperation.

Hue is scheduled to pay a courtesy visit to the Finnish President, meet with the Finnish Prime Minister, and hold talks with the Speaker of the Finnish Parliament. He will also receive the Mayors, attend roundtable discussion with a number of CEOs of large Finnish companies, and witness the signing of business contracts between Vietnamese and Finnish enterprises.

He is due to meet with officials of the Vietnamese Embassy and representatives of the Vietnamese community in Finland.

Earlier on September 8-9, Hue paid a working visit to Belgium where he had a meeting with the President of the European Union and held talks with the President of the European Parliament. At these meetings, the two sides reached high consensus on many issues of cooperation both bilaterally and multilaterally.

He also met with the Belgian Deputy Prime Minister, attended the Vietnam - Belgium Business Forum, and witnessed the signing of business contracts between the two countries. He also attended a ceremony to receive 100,000 doses of the COVID-19 vaccine and other medical supplies donated by the Belgian government.

VTV secures broadcasting rights to 2021 FIFA Futsal World Cup

Vietnam Television (VTV) has won the rights to broadcast live the finals of the 2021 FIFA Futsal World Cup which will take place from September 12 to October 4 in Lithuania.

All matches at the finals of the Futsal World Cup will be broadcast across the country and through VTV’s digital platforms.

The ninth version of the global tournament will be held at three competition halls in Lithuania, including the Siemens Arena in Vilnius, Zalgiris Arena in Kaunas, and Svyturys Arena in Klaipėda.

This will mark the second time that the country has competed in the FIFA Futsal World Cup, coming following their participation in their first global competition in Colombia five years ago when Vietnam made history after making it to the quarter finals.

The 2021 FIFA Futsal World Cup will feature the participation of 24 teams divided into six groups. They will compete in a round robin format with the top 12 first and second-placed teams and four best third-placed teams progressing to the round of 16.

Vietnam are in Group D alongside world champions Brazil, the Czech Republic, and Panama.

They are scheduled to take on Brazil on September 13, Panama on September 16, and the Czech Republic three days later.

Travel papers to be integrated into citizens’ QR code

The Police Department for the Administrative Management of Social Order (C06) under the Ministry of Public Security will study and integrate travel papers into citizens’ QR codes when people make declarations through VNEID, a recently-launched electronic medical declaration application.

The information was released on September 9 by Senior Lieutenant Colonel To Anh Dung, Deputy Director of C06 at a press briefing held about the deployment of a number of pieces of software to support COVID-19 prevention and control.

Accordingly, C06 has launched software to manage citizens suspected of being infected with COVID-19. This software makes it easy to update the status of the COVID-19 infection situation and the risk of infection. Information is available on the national population database, and is to be applied across the country.

In order to support policy beneficiaries, C06 has also launched a citizen management software for COVID-19 support policies. This software is also designed based on the system of the national population database.

So far, all provinces and cities nationwide have used this software. Police forces of communes, wards and townships have coordinated with People's Committees at the same level to update information on 547,748 policy beneficiaries and have distributed allowances in 486,942 cases.

Belgian Foreign Ministry hands over 100,000 doses of vaccine to Vietnam

Representatives from the Belgian Foreign Ministry handed over 100,000 doses of AstraZeneca vaccine to Vietnam to support its fight against COVID-19.

The ceremony, co-hosted by the Vietnamese Embassy in Belgium and the Ministry of Planning and Investment in Brussels, was witnessed by National Assembly Chairman Vuong Dinh Hue.

Several Vietnamese organisations, businesses and intellectuals in Europe also presented medical supplies worth millions of USD to Vietnam.

To step up economic ties between Vietnam and Belgium, a number of deals to purchase medical equipment were also signed on the occasion.

Other memoranda of understanding relate to offshore wind power development, solar energy study, and wind-derived desalination technology. If 100,000 doses of vaccine funded by the Belgium Government are added, the MoUs are worth over 84.4 trillion VND (3.7 billion USD) in total./.

Quang Nam wants airport upgrade

The central province of Quang Nam has called for upgrading Chu Lai Airport into an international airport by 2030 at a meeting with the Airports Corporation of Vietnam.

Under the local authorities’ proposal, the CAV needs to work out a plan on developing into an international airport that can serve five million passengers per year by 2030. 

At the meeting, the provincial people’s committee mentioned the necessity of upgrading the airport’s cargo terminal as well as expanding areas for aircraft parking areas and supporting facilities.

The province has been co-operating with the ACV and concerned agencies to mobilise the state budget for building a new runway at the airport. Meanwhile, the current runway of the airport will be turned into a taxiway in line with the Ministry of Transport’s approval in 2019.

Le Tri Thanh, Chairman of Quang Nam Province, said that the province has asked the ACV to call both foreign and local investors to participate in the Chu Lai Airport development project.

Chu Lai Airport has favourable conditions to become an international airport according to Thanh.

Vietnam Youth Federation has new President

Vietnam Youth Federation has new President hinh anh 1

President of the Vietnam Youth Federation Nguyen Ngoc Luong.

 

Nguyen Ngoc Luong was elected as President of the Vietnam Youth Federation (VYF) at the 4th conference of the Presidium of the VYF Central Committee and the 5th meeting of the 8th VYF Central Committee for the 2019-2024 tenure held via videoconference on September 9.

Born in 1978 in Thieu Hoa district of the north central province of Thanh Hoa, Luong was Secretary of the Ho Chi Minh Communist Youth Union Central Committee and Vice Chairman of the National Committee on Youth of Vietnam (NCYV).

The event was chaired by First Secretary of the Ho Chi Minh Communist Youth Union Central Committee Nguyen Anh Tuan and Vice President of the VYF Central Committee Nguyen Hai Minh.

Delegates discussed tasks carried out by youth organisations in the first months of 2021 and the implementation of missions in the remaining months of the year, along with personnel work for the VYF Central Committee./.

Warning given to Party Delegation to Quang Ninh People’s Court

The 13th Party Central Committee’s Inspection Commission has decided to give a warning to the Party Delegation to the Quang Ninh provincial People’s Court in the 2015-2020 and 2020-2025 tenures and some senior officials of the court as a disciplinary measure.

In its announcement on September 9, the commission concluded that the officials have violated the Party's regulations, the State's laws and the working regulations of the provincial Party Committee and the Party Delegations to the Quang Ninh provincial People’s Court, as well as the principle of democratic centralism in considering and deciding to reduce the prison sentence for an ineligible prisoner. 

The commission said their violations are serious, causing public concern and negative impact on the fight against crimes, the Party and State’s leniency policy and prestige of the court sector and the Party.

The commission also asked the Party Central Committee’s Secretariat impose disciplinary measures on former Secretary of the Party Delegation to Vietnam Social Security (VSS) and former General Director of the VSS Nguyen Huy Ban, and former Deputy Minister of Labour, Invalids and Social Affairs, former Secretary of the Party Delegation to the VSS and former General Director of the VSS Le Bach Hong for their violations of the Party regulations and State laws, regarding the lending of money from the social security fund to a company against the rule, causing serious consequences and significant loss to the State budget.

It also decided to give a warning to Bui Truong Thang, Deputy General Director of the Hanoi Beer Alcohol and Beverage, former deputy head of the Industry Department of the Ministry of Industry and Trade for his violations of regulations when providing consultations on the management and use of a high-value land lot in Ho Chi Minh City./. 

Nearly 800,000 planned for evacuation due to typhoon Conson

A plan to evacuate roughly 800,000 people in northern localities has been planned as storm Conson approaches.

The National Steering Committee for Natural Disaster Response on Thursday held an urgent meeting on measures to respond to typhoon Conson.

Because of the impact of the tropical convergence, since Wednesday evening, some northern localities, including Hoa Binh and Son La have been facing heavy rains. The same weather has also affected central provinces from Thanh Hoa to Quang Binh.

Hoang Phuc Lam, deputy director of the National Center for Meteorological and Hydrological Forecasting, said that the typhoon has entered the East Sea to become the fifth typhoon set to hit Vietnam this year.

The storm has been forecasted to make landfall at the Paracel Islands by 7 am on September 11 with strong wind.

Northern provinces have planned to evacuate close to 800,000 people in case of the storm, including 155,000 people in areas at high risks of flash floods and 230,000 in coastal areas.

A report from the Border Guard Command showed that around 71,500 ships and boats had been updated on the typhoon in order to take preventive measures to ensure safety.

Currently, around 500 ships and boats are operating in areas that would be affected by the storm, mostly in the Paracel Islands. They are mainly fishermen from the central provinces of Quang Binh, Quang Tri, Binh Dinh and Quang Ngai. Many of them are moving out of dangerous areas.

Critical COVID-19 patients recover in Da Nang

Several critical COVID-19 patients have recovered and been released from Đà Nẵng’s Lung hospital after 17-day treatment. They now need a two-week home quarantine period.

Director of the hospital Dr Lê Thành Phúc said four patients had been taken to the hospital with a series of severe conditions such as hypertension, pneumonia, respiratory distress, obesity and strokes, but doctors did their best to save them during the city’s lockdown.

Phúc said a male patient, 82, who suffered stroke and half-body paralysis, was one of the most severe emergency cases at the hospital. He has now tested negative twice with SARS-COV-2 after two weeks.

He said another COVID-19 patient, aged 64, who was diagnosed with tuberculosis and SARS-COV-2 infection on August 23, had recovered by September 8.

A 60-year-old COVID-19 patient with obesity and respiratory distress was among 162 recovered COVID-19 patients on Wednesday.

The city’s Centre for Disease Control said the number of SARS-COV-2 community infection cases has had remained under 15 per day since September 1, while more than 100 COVID-19 patients were released from hospitals each day over the last five days.

Only 55 out of 1,600 (3.4 per cent) COVID-19 patients have been diagnosed with severe conditions. The number of dead COVID-19 patient (47) in the city has remained at one per cent since May, according to the centre.  

It said 108,000 people, including 52,000 residents, workers, traders and service providers, have been given the first shot of vaccine. Forty-one foreigners working at international organisations and diplomatic agencies were vaccinated as of Wednesday.  

More than 400,000 vaccine doses will be arriving to the city for mass injection with a target of all citizens getting at least one shot of the vaccine by the end of September.

Hội An city in Quảng Nam province has allowed coffee and food shops to open again with 50 per cent of seats available, as well as a gathering of 20 people in public spaces.

Commodities and transport services resumed between Đà Nẵng and Quảng Nam Province, but drivers and logistics service providers must leave Đà Nẵng within 12 hours.

Online tour highlights Vietnam’s culture under Ly – Tran feudal dynasties

Vietnam’ culture under the Ly (1009 - 1225) and Tran (1225-1400) feudal dynasties will be promoted to the public via a free online tour of the National Museum of History from September 12.

The programme will be held via the Zoom platform, and is aiming to meeting the public's demand for education on historical and cultural values.

The tour is an appropriate form for imparting historical knowledge to people, especially the young, amid the complicated developments of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Visitors will have a chance to enjoy digitised artifacts and documents combined with explanations and the application of vivid 3D technology.

Through the programme, viewers will learn about the formation, development and role of the Ly and Tran feudal dynasties in the nation’s history.

This is the first pilot tour to visit the museum in online form launched by the Volunteers’ Club under the National Museum of History.

Less than 24 hours since this information was posted on their Fanpage at facebook.com/BTLSQG.VNMH, the museum has received great attention from the public. The number of registrations for the first tour has exceeded the target.

Hai Phong conducts mass vaccination drive

Some 500,000 people will receive the Vero Cell COVID-19 vaccine under a vaccination drive launched by the northern port city of Hai Phong on September 8. The drive will last for 10-15 days.

There will be 54 vaccination facilities in districts and 18 at local industrial parks that meet social distancing requirements, with four zones - reception, medical examination, immunisation, and post-immunisation monitoring.

In its campaign, Hai Phong city has given priority to drivers, drivers’ assistants, workers, local people voluntarily registering to receive vaccinations, shippers, staff at shopping malls, traders, and other cases in line with current regulations.

Hai Phong has more than 1.6 million people eligible to receive a COVID-19 vaccination.

Before September 8, nearly 170,000 COVID-19 vaccine shots had been administered.

Can Tho: Man prosecuted for anti-State posts

The People’s Procuracy of Thoi Lai district, Can Tho city, has issued an indictment prosecuting a man and his accomplices for “abusing the rights to freedom and democracy to violate the interests of the State, the rights and legitimate interests of organisations and individuals.”

The man - Truong Chau Huu Danh - was born in 1982 from the southern province of Long An.

His accomplices comprise Nguyen Phuoc Trung Bao, born in 1982 and residing in central Da Nang city, and 36-year-old Doan Kien Giang and 41-year-old Nguyen Thanh Nha, both from Ho Chi Minh City, and Le The Thang, born in 1982 and residing in Hanoi.

According to the indictment, in August 2019, Danh and his accomplices created the Facebook fanpage named “Bao sach,” a group named “Lam bao sach” and a Youtube channel named “BS Channel” to post 47 articles and video clips on issues of public concern.

The articles and video clips posted by the group used unverified, untrue, negative, one-sided information that intentionally misled public opinions, causing misunderstanding and creating conditions for negative comments, thus inciting some people who have false perception to oppose guidelines of the Party, and policies and laws of the State.

Their acts have also affected the management work in localities, triggered confusion, suspicion in the public and undermined public trust in the State and all-level authorities in social management.

During investigations, Danh and his accomplices admitted to their wrongdoings.

After Danh was arrested, the remaining members left the group and Thang removed the Facebook page and Youtube channel.

Thang has been released on bail and banned from leaving his residence, while Danh, Bao, Nha and Giang are under temporary detention./.

Second Vietnam Summit in Japan to be held virtually

The second Vietnam Summit in Japan is set to be held virtually on November 20-21 under the endorsement of the Embassy of Vietnam in Japan and the Vietnam National Innovation Centre (NIC).

The event will be held under the theme “Transformation: New Values, New Methods”, said Ta Duc Tung, a member of the executive board of the Summit during a recent press conference held in Tokyo.

It is hoped to offer a venue for Vietnamese intellectuals in Japan to connect, share and discuss chances and challenges of Vietnam in the post-pandemic time, as well as devise measures to foster the country’s development in the period.

For his part, Vietnamese Ambassador to Japan Vu Hong Nam appreciated efforts made by the organisers, adding that the first edition of the Summit has helped to connect Vietnamese scientists and intellectuals in Japan.

He spoke highly of this year’s theme and expressed his hope that the event will create a strong bond amongst Vietnamese intellectuals in Japan, and between the intellectuals and State management agencies and firms of the two countries.

The Summit will comprise a plenary session and six thematic seminars which are to discuss measures to live with COVID-19 in the new normal and across many fields such as online learning, digital transformation and smart city development.

The first Vietnam Summit in Japan, held in November 2019 with the theme “Make-in-Vietnam: Chances and Challenges”, drew the participation of nearly 900 intellectuals living inside and outside Japan, along with representatives of Vietnam’s ministries and sectors./.

Russian citizens in Khanh Hoa vote in legislative elections amid COVID-19

Russian nationals in south central Khanh Hoa province on September 9 headed to the Vietnam-Russia Tropical Centre's coastal branch in Nha Trang beach city to cast their early ballots for seats in the State Duma, the lower house of Russia’s Federal Assembly.

According to the organisers, the current COVID-19 situation may affect the turnout. About 450 Russian citizens are expected to cast votes on the day. The voting lasts from 8am to 8pm on September 9.

Alex Krushchev, a Russian national in Nha Trang city, said he is delighted to exercise his right to vote during his stay in Vietnam. Amid the spread of COVID-19, local authorities have created optimal conditions for him and other Russian citizens to test for COVID-19 and cast their ballots.

Khanh Hoa is one of localities in Vietnam having a large number of Russian citizens. There are many Russian scientists working at the Vietnam-Russia Tropical Centre in Nha Trang city, which was established 30 years ago.

In Russia, the voting is slated for September 19.

Four voting stations will be opened on September 19 in Vietnamese localities hosting a large number of Russian nationals, namely Hanoi, Ho Chi Minh City, central Da Nang city and southern Ba Ria-Vung Tau province./.

NA Chairman: Vietnam sets sight on rapid, sustainable development

Vietnam sets sight on rapid and sustainable socio-economic development with a long-term vision to 2030 and 2045, National Assembly Chairman Vuong Dinh Hue told a Vietnam – Belgium business roundtable on September 9.

Hue said the country’s growth will mostly rely on science-technology, innovation and digital transformation. The nation will also perfect market economy institution in tandem with socio-economic development, environment, national defence-security and external relations.

Vietnam advocates attracting foreign investment selectively with quality, efficiency, technology and environment protection as major criteria, he said, adding that priority is given to projects in high technology, innovation, research and development.

He asked Belgian firms to push forward the Belgian parliament’s approval of the European Union – Vietnam Investment Protection Agreement (EVIPA).

The top legislator also proposed the Belgian Government and firms continue providing vaccines for Vietnam via COVAX Facility mechanism.

In the morning the same day, Minister of Industry and Trade Nguyen Hong Dien also received Secretary General of the Federation of European Sporting Goods Industry (FESI) Jerome Pero and representatives from Nike Group.

Dien hoped that FESI and Nike will raise voice to the EU and US adminsitration to make it easier for Vietnam to access vaccines at the earliest via COVAX mechanism or commercial channel.

FESI and Nike also discussed the possibility of assisting Vietnam in COVID-19 fight such as supplying test kits or factory cleansing equipment.

During a working session with Univercells earlier, Dien listened to the company’s presentation about its projects with the Vietnamese firms regarding vaccine study and production.

Its suggestions and materials will be sent immediately to the Health Ministry and potential partners in Vietnam for consideration.

Vietnam's Friendship Order posthumously awarded to PCF official

Authorised by the President, Vietnamese Ambassador to France Nguyen Toan Thang on September 8 posthumously bestowed a Friendship Order on Jean-Charles Negre, former standing member of the French Communist Party (PCF) Secretariat, for his contributions to France-Vietnam relations.

Attendants at the ceremony were Fabien Roussel, National Secretary of the PCF, Pierre Laurent, President of the PCF’s National Council, representatives of Negre’s family and French and Vietnamese friends.

Addressing the ceremony, Thang said that Negre is not only a communist soldier but also a person who always struggled for the friendship between the Vietnamese and the French people, as well as the solidarity between the Communist Parties of France and Vietnam.

He played an active role in enhancing exchanges and dialogues between the two countries, promoting bilateral cooperation projects, especially in historical archives and cooperation between the Nhan dan (People) newspaper and L'Humanité (Humanity), the ambassador said.

Negre is the initiator of many cooperation projects and partnerships between French and Vietnamese companies in many sectors including tourism, sports, environment and digitalisation. He also contributed to promoting the twinning relationship between the French city of Montreuil, the province of Seine-Saint-Denis, and the Vietnamese province of Hai Duong, as well as between the Ile de France region and the city of Hanoi.

Many projects in the fields of waste treatment and environment have become bright spots of decentralised cooperation between Vietnam and France.

“The Vietnamese people will never forget his special contributions in preserving the memories of President Ho Chi Minh, one of the founding members of the French Communist Party in France,” he said.

The ambassador said, thanks to him, Ho Chi Minh Space was placed in the Living History Museum in Montreuil and a statue of President Ho Chi Minh was erected in Parc de Montreau.

Fabien Roussel, National Secretary of the PCF, highly appreciated the posthumous awarding of the Friendship Order to Negre, saying it was a great honour for the deceased. He affirmed that continuing the tradition of their predecessors, members of the PCF are constantly nurturing the friendly relationship between France and Vietnam.

On behalf of the family, Jeanne Negre expressed her appreciation and thanks to the Vietnamese Government for awarding the Friendship Order to her father./.

Australia funds digitally transformative tech projects in Vietnam

The Australian Government in collaboration with the Ministry of Science and Technology of Vietnam announced on Thursday the award of grants totalling nearly AUD 1.4 million to four high-tech projects through the Aus4Innovation Program.

The four projects, selected from nearly 70 applicants who responded to the call for proposals from Aus4Innovation Partnership Grants Round 3 – “Enhancing Digital Transformation” – will be implemented through well-established partnerships between leading universities in both Australia and Vietnam, together with industry partners and local government agencies.

The first project is "Augmented reality to improve access to healthcare in remote areas" - an initiative to employ augmented reality technology to improve the effectiveness of remote tele-mentorship between experts in urban centres and less-experienced healthcare staff in remote areas. Ultimately supporting better outcomes for urgent and complex patient cases, the project will be delivered through a partnership between the University of Tasmania and Bach Mai Hospital (AUD 387,245).

"Smart Eye to improve sugar industry productivity" is the second project which develops a system incorporating drone technology and artificial intelligence of things (AIoT) to allow local farmers in Thanh Hoa province to monitor the nutrition levels and disease prevalence in sugarcane fields, thereby improving productivity and reducing production costs. The grant will be delivered through the University of Wollongong and VIGREEN, a tech start-up (AUD 300,000). 

"AI/IoT Technology to enhance search and rescue capacity" is the third project that aims to enhance search and rescue operations in Vietnam during natural disasters by using the latest digital transformation technologies, including aerial vehicles (UAVs), artificial intelligence (AI) and remote sensing technology. The initiative will be delivered collaboratively by the University of Technology Sydney and Le Quy Don Technical University (AUD 440,000).

The last project, "AI-powered dashboard for environment ecosystem management", is an initiative that brings together leading experts in artificial intelligence, machine learning, Internet of Things (IoT), environmental engineering and conservation biology to transform the environmental management of Tram Chim National Park. Work will be led by the University of Wollongong and Ho Chi Minh City University of Technology (AUD 250,000).

Adapting the most advanced technologies developed and tested in Australia, these projects are expected to deliver practical values to the innovation ecosystem and create lasting socio-economic impact in Vietnam.

Congratulating the winners, H.E. Ms Robyn Mudie, Australian Ambassador to Vietnam said: “Building on the success of previous Aus4Innovation Partnership Grants, we’re delighted to continue supporting initiatives that address Vietnam’s most pressing socio-economic growth challenges. International collaboration in emerging areas of science and technology, like AI and IoT, will be especially important as the country recovers from COVID-19. The healthcare, natural disaster management, sustainable agriculture and nature conservation sectors all provide opportunities for widespread digital transformation that will have a lasting positive impact.”

“This pandemic is reminding us that digital transformation is essential for future social and economic development. The projects selected for funding are not only practical in how advanced technologies are applied in areas of critical need in Vietnam, but they are also very meaningful in today’s context. We look forward to embracing these state-of-the-art technologies into our innovation system, and the positive spill over that they will facilitate here in Vietnam.” Vice Minister Bui The Duy from the Ministry of Science and Technology added.

Aus4Innovation Partnership Grants delivered funding rounds in 2019 and 2020, providing support for eight high-tech projects. This third round was approved by the Australian Government in response to COVID-19 and supports Vietnam’s sustainable recovery from the pandemic. Information about projects funded in the three rounds can be found on the Aus4Innovation website.

Australia funds digitally transformative tech projects in Vietnam

The Australian government in collaboration with the Ministry of Science and Technology of Vietnam announced today the award of grants totalling nearly AUD1.4 million (around $1 million) to four high-tech projects through the Aus4Innovation Program.

Adapting the most advanced technologies developed and tested in Australia, these projects are expected to deliver practical values to the innovation ecosystem and create lasting socioeconomic impact in Vietnam.

The four projects, selected from nearly 70 applicants who responded to the call for proposals from Aus4Innovation Partnership Grants Round 3 – “Enhancing Digital Transformation” – will be implemented through well-established partnerships between leading universities in both Australia and Vietnam, together with industry partners and local government agencies. These projects include:

Augmented reality to improve access to healthcare in remote areas – an initiative to employ augmented reality technology to improve the effectiveness of remote tele-mentorship between experts in urban centres and less-experienced healthcare staff in remote areas. Ultimately supporting better outcomes for urgent and complex patient cases, the project will be delivered through a partnership between the University of Tasmania and Bach Mai Hospital (AUD387,245 – $285,435);

Smart Eye to improve sugar industry productivity – a project to develop a system incorporating drone technology and artificial intelligence of things (AIoT) to allow local farmers in Thanh Hoa province to monitor the nutrition levels and disease prevalence in sugarcane fields, thereby improving productivity and reducing production costs. The grant will be delivered through the University of Wollongong and VIGREEN, a tech startup (AUD300,000 – $221,180);

AI/IoT Technology to enhance search and rescue capacity – a project that aims to enhance search and rescue operations in Vietnam during natural disasters by using the latest digital transformation technologies, including (unmanned?) aerial vehicles (UAVs), AI, and remote sensing technology. The initiative will be delivered collaboratively by the University of Technology Sydney and Le Quy Don Technical University (AUD440,000 – $324,460);

AI-powered dashboard for environment ecosystem management – an initiative that brings together leading experts in AI, machine learning, IoT, environmental engineering, and conservation biology to transform the environmental management of Tram Chim National Park. Work will be led by the University of Wollongong and Ho Chi Minh City University of Technology (AUD250,000 – $184,420)

Congratulating the winners, Robyn Mudie, Australian Ambassador to Vietnam said: “Building on the success of previous Aus4Innovation Partnership Grants, we’re delighted to continue supporting initiatives that address Vietnam’s most pressing socioeconomic growth challenges. International collaboration in emerging areas of science and technology, like AI and IoT, will be especially important as the country recovers from COVID-19. The healthcare, natural disaster management, sustainable agriculture, and nature conservation sectors all provide opportunities for widespread digital transformation that will have a lasting positive impact.”

Vice Minister Bui The Duy from the Ministry of Science and Technology added, “This pandemic is reminding us that digital transformation is essential for future social and economic development. The projects selected for funding are not only practical in how advanced technologies are applied in areas of critical need in Vietnam, they are also very meaningful in today’s context. We look forward to embracing these state-of-the-art technologies into our innovation system, and the positive spill-over that they will facilitate here in Vietnam.”

Partnership Grants are an important part of the AUD13.5 million ($9.96 million) (2018-2022) Aus4Innovation Program. It is funded by the Australian Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT), managed by Australia’s national science agency, CSIRO in strategic collaboration with the Ministry of Science and Technology of Vietnam.

Thua Thien-Hue: endangered primate released into Bach Ma National Park

A red-shanked douc was released into Bach Ma National Park in Phu Loc district in the central province of Thua Thien – Hue on September 9.

The 12-kilogram primate was found at Laguna Lang Co Resort in Phu Loc in good health condition.

The park's staff will keep a close watch on its movements and ability to integrate into red-shanked douc herds.

The red-shanked douc is the queen of primates, and has been listed as critically endangered in Vietnam’s Red Book.

Spanning 37,500 hectares and covered by evergreen tropical and subtropical rainforests, the Bach Ma National Park affords red-shanked doucs the ideal habitat to develop. It is now home to six herds of red-shanked doucs.

Researchers said the park harbors over 1,700 animal species, accounting for 7 percent of all species currently in Vietnam. A total 69 species are named in the Red List of Threatened Species, including dholes, leopards and saola. Fifteen species are endemic to Vietnam, mostly birds.

Last May, another red-shanked douc weighing 6.3 kilogrammes discovered near Ta Trach reservoir in Huong Thuy town was also released into the park./.

Vietnam, China exchange pandemic prevention experience

Minister of Health Nguyen Thanh Long on September 9 held virtual talks with Ma Xiaowei, Minister of the Chinese National Health Commission regarding COVID-19 prevention and control.

At the function, Long thanked the Chinese Government and people for their valuable support for the Vietnamese counterparts in pushing back the pandemic.

Ma said with previous COVID-19-related exchanges between Vietnam and China, the event is meaningful in terms of experience sharing to boost the effectiveness of the sides’ responses to the epidemic.

Both ministers joined experts in discussing pandemic prevention and control strategies between Vietnam and China as well as related technical and professional solutions, particularly large-scale testing.

The sides also exchanged their experience in classifying and treating COVID-19 patients. Accordingly, both focused on treating severe patients and sending experts to their areas.

They agreed to establish experience sharing channels to boost cooperation in the time to come./.

Cambodian students affected by COVID-19 in Can Tho receive gifts

The Ho Chi Minh Communist Youth Union in the Mekong Delta city of Can Tho and the municipal Union of Friendship Organisations on September 8 visited and presented gifts to Cambodian students who are affected by the COVID-19 pandemic.

The delegation handed over 17 gift packages, each comprising cash and necessities worth 1 million VND (43.97 USD), to Cambodian students of Can Tho University and Can Tho University of Medicine and Pharmacy.

Le Thi Thanh Giang, President of the Union of Friendship Organisations, said the gifts aim to support the Cambodian students stranded in Vietnam due to the pandemic, while nurturing the time-honoured friendship between people of the two countries.

Those are among 60 Cambodian students who are studying in Can Tho city./.

Top legislator meets Vietnamese community in Belgium

National Assembly Chairman Vuong Dinh Hue on September 9 attended an inauguration ceremony of a President Ho Chi Minh memorial room at the headquarters of the Vietnamese Embassy in Belgium as part of his working visit to the European Parliament and Belgium, and met with the representatives from the Vietnamese community in the country.

At his working session with the embassy and the Mission of Vietnam to the EU, Hue urged both agencies make efforts to promote the ratification of the EU-Vietnam Investment Protection Agreement (EVIPA) by parliaments of EU countries as well as Vietnam’s vaccine diplomacy.

At the meeting with representatives of Vietnamese expatriates in Belgium and young Vietnamese intellectuals from across Europe, the top legislator lauded overseas Vietnamese people’s contribution to their home nations via practical actions and assistance.

Hue informed the expatriates on the success of the 13th National Party Congress and the elections of deputies to the 15th National Assembly and all-level People’s Councils for 2021 – 2026. He also mentioned the successful external work and international integration of Vietnam in the past time.

The legislative leader took the occasion to brief the expatriates on new points in the Politburo’s Conclusion on overseas Vietnamese affairs in the new context./.

Research on rule-of-law socialist state should be more practical: President

President Nguyen Xuan Phuc chaired a meeting in Hanoi on September 9, reviewing works done in developing a scheme to build a strategy for building and perfecting a rule-of-law socialist state till 2030 with orientations to 2045 and agreeing on common directions for the task.

Affirming that the State’s top priority goal is serving the people, Phuc requested the implementation of the scheme’s 27 studies should have a new mindset, both inheriting the achievements of building the current rule-of-law socialist Vietnamese state and lifting them to new heights, meeting the development requirements of the country until 2045.

At the same time, he also emphasised the quality requirements of the studies.

The building of these studies must be based on the Marxism-Leninism and Ho Chi Minh Thought; closely follow the Party’s orientations, the Constitution and the laws of the State; and inheriting progresses achieved in building and perfecting the model so far, the President stated.

Phuc also recommended agencies behind these studies conduct seminars and symposiums to capitalise on the brainpower of other agencies, organisations, and scientists./.

Vietnam considers US one of top important partners: vice spokesperson

Vietnam always considers the US one of its top important partners, Vietnamese Foreign Ministry’s vice spokesperson Doan Khac Viet stated at the ministry’s regular press conference via videoconference on September 9.

Viet said since the two countries lifted their relationship to comprehensive partnership level in 2013, bilateral ties have developed with practical results in important areas, both bilaterally and multilaterally, bringing substantial benefits to the two countries’ people and enterprises and contributing to peace, stability and cooperation in the region and the world.

According to the vice spokesperson, under its external policy of independence, self-reliance, being ready to be a trustworthy partner to make active contributions to peace, stability and development in the region and the world, and following the principle of respecting independence, sovereignty, territorial integrity and political regime of each other, Vietnam always considers the US one of its top important partners.

He said the two countries’ leaders have agreed to further strengthen bilateral ties, especially cooperation in the fields of economy, trade, investment, national defence-security, settlement of post-war consequences, climate change response, education, health care, science and technology.

Once again, Vietnam sincerely thanks the US for its timely, effective and valuable support to the country in the fight against the pandemic, Viet said.

Vice spokesperson: Chinese Foreign Minister’s upcoming visit to boost ties

Foreign Ministry’s vice spokesperson Doan Khac Viet has said the upcoming Vietnam visit by Chinese State Councillor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi aims to continue boosting the comprehensive strategic cooperative partnership with Vietnam, for the benefit of the two peoples, and for peace, stability, cooperation and development in each nation, in the region and the world.

During the visit, Wang is scheduled to co-chair the annual 13th meeting of the Steering Committee on Vietnam – China Bilateral Cooperation together with permanent Deputy Foreign Minister Pham Binh Minh, hold talks with Foreign Minister Bui Thanh Son and pay courtesy calls to Vietnamese leaders, Viet said during the ministry’s regular press conference via videoconference on September 9.

According to the spokesperson, leaders and agencies concerned of the two countries will discuss measures to tackle existing problems and carry bilateral ties forward.

A focus of discussion will be on cooperation in the fight against COVID-19 pandemic, including the supply of vaccines, medical supplies and relevant issues, he said.

Official requests directing vessels to avoid upcoming typhoon

Deputy head of the Central Steering Committee for Natural Disaster Prevention and Control Tran Quang Hoai has asked municipal and provincial steering committees and local border guards to call on vessels to avoid the upcoming typhoon, Conson.

During a teleconference with 14 northern mountainous provinces, ministries and agencies concerned on September 9, Hoai also urged the Health Ministry to offer detailed guidelines to areas in “red zones” in line with Directive No.16/CT-CP on COVID-19 prevention and control to make it easier for evacuation.

Speaking at the event, Deputy Director of the Vietnam Disaster Management Authority Nguyen Van Tien required cities and provinces to continue keeping close track of rainfalls there, raise public awareness of the complicated movement of storms in the East Sea, instruct residents how to ensure safety and store food and water.

Localities were also assigned to inspect unsafe houses, residential areas at high risk, ensure the safety of water reservoirs, small irrigation lakes and underway construction works as well as come up with plans to protect crops.

Ministries, agencies and units concerned will deploy forces and equipment for search and rescue upon request. At the same time, they must actively inspect the safety of power network.

Sen. Lieut. Col Nguyen Dinh Hung, deputy head of the Border Guard High Command’s search and rescue office, said as of September 9 morning, about 500 fishing vessels were still operating, mostly in Quang Binh, Quang Tri, Quang Ngai and Binh Dinh, and around Hoang Sa (Paracel) archipelago.

According to the Office of the Central Steering Committee for Natural Disaster Prevention and Control, several localities reviewed evacuation plans in case of heavy storm and widespread rainfalls.

At 1pm on September 9, the storm, the fifth to hit the country so far this year, was about 540km east southeast of Hoang Sa archipelago, with the wind speed of up to 75-90km per hour. 

It is forecast that in the next 24 hours, the storm will move to the west at about 15km per hour and is likely to get stronger, with the strongest wind in the area near its center predicted at 90-115km per hour at 1pm on September 10./.

Japanese firm supports Vietnamese people facing difficulties amid COVID-19

Chairman of Advance Co. Ltd. Satou Takashi has handed over the token of a cash amount to Vietnamese Ambassador to Japan Vu Hong Nam to support Vietnamese people facing difficulties in Japan due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

At a ceremony to receive the aid on September 7, Nam thanked the company for the valuable assistance, pledging to use the sum in the most effective manner to support the needy.

The money will be delivered to beneficiaries through the Association of Vietnamese Intellectuals in Japan under a close watch of the embassy.

The Vietnamese diplomat lauded activities conducted by the Advance Co. Ltd. to help Vietnamese workers and students to access chances to work in Japan, expressing his hope that the firm will continue to assist them during their stay in the country.

Takashi said that the Advance Co. Ltd. was set up in 1995 and mainly operates in the field of telecommunications. Since 2017, it has signed cooperation agreements with more than 10 Vietnamese universities to send Vietnamese students to Japan for apprenticeship and working after they finish their apprentice programmes.

Talking to the Vietnam News Agency's correspondent in Japan, he said that the company hopes to make contributions to easing difficulties that Vietnamese people in Japan are facing during the pandemic.

Along with the Advance Co. Ltd., many other Japanese companies have offered support to needy Vietnamese people in Japan amid COVID-19 with different forms such as cash, food, and accommodation./

Thai Binh multiplies model of locals’ donating land for road construction

The successful model of local residents’ donating land for the construction of roads in Quynh Ngoc, Quynh Hoang and Quynh Lam communes of Quynh Phu district in the northern province of Thai Binh has encouraged other localities to follow suit.

In mid-August, many local households in An Thai commune of Quynh Phu district joined hands with the local administration in construction of DH.76 road through the centre of the commune by voluntarily donating their land for the building of the road.

Inspecting ground clearance for DH.76 road through An Thai commune, Secretary of the provincial Party Committee Ngo Dong Hai and Chairman of the provincial People’s Committee Nguyen Khac Than lauded the high consensus and voluntary land donation of local residents.

This is a creative method of Quynh Phu to speed up ground clearance, which should be multiplied to many other localities across the province in the time to come.

According to the People’s Committee of Quynh Phu district, DH.76 road crosses 74 households with a length of 1.7km. So far, all 74 households have voluntarily donated their land for the construction of the road with total area of more than 900 sq.m and received support and compensation from the administration in line with the regulations.

With the motto of the State and people working together, Quynh Phu has succeeded to encourage people to contribute their land for the construction of the road in the spirit of democracy, voluntariness, transparency and consensus.

The district will prioritise constructing roads in localities where all households reach high consensus.

In return, the province will give compensations for their properties on their land plots and help them resettle in other areas if their remaining land after donation is not enough for house building./. 

Emergency aid reaches more Vietnamese-Cambodians

More Vietnamese-origin people in Cambodia have received assistance under Phase 2 of an emergency aid programme for those affected by the COVID-19 pandemic.

The Khmer - Vietnam Association and the Vietnamese Embassy in Cambodia held an event to present the aid in Phnom Penh capital on September 9.

The relief, including rice, mosquito nets, and cash, was handed over to 50 households of Vietnamese-origin people who represented 1,171 households in Phnom Penh benefiting from the programme, which also targets Khmer people, this time.

Among the beneficiaries, there are 538 households that previously earned their living from cage fish farming but were recently displaced.

Huynh Minh Phu, Chairman of the Khmer - Vietnam Association in Phnom Penh, said the life of Vietnamese-origin people has been hit hard by the COVID-19 pandemic, but those who have to leave their houseboats for the mainland have encountered even more hardships.

Leaders of the Vietnamese Embassy and the Khmer - Vietnam Association have been working to raise donations to provide support, he added.

Apart from the targeted households in Phnom Penh, the embassy’s community support fund have also presented rice and medical supplies to more than 650 others in Kampong Thom, Kampong Chhnang, Stung Treng, Prey Veng, and Kampong Cham provinces, raising the number of beneficiary households in Phase 2 to 1,821.

Over the last two months, at the request of the Khmer - Vietnam Association’s chapters, the fund has also given food, medical supplies, and essential goods to over 800 households in some areas affected by the pandemic in such provinces as Kandal, Siem Reap, Kampong Chhnang, and Prey Veng./.

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Source: VNA/VNS/VOV/VIR/SGT/SGGP/Nhan Dan/Hanoitimes  

VIETNAM NEWS HEADLINES SEPTEMBER 9

VIETNAM NEWS HEADLINES SEPTEMBER 9

Nearly 15,000 HCM City children infected with COVID-19